Introduction
The United State's Army is keeping their tactical shooter/ virtual training guide for the army going in full steam with their latest installation of America's Army version 3.0. This instalment saw a major revamp with new missions, weapons, achievement system and the use of the
Unreal Engine 3, the game comes back for more action and deeper intentions to get you to actually join the United State's Armed Forces.
Gameplay
America's Army mostly plays like any other shooter in the sense of pure using the mouse to shoot an enemy player and one uses the WASD keys to mobilize across a field. If one desires to get new weapons, they must complete the training course and missions that correspond to that mission and acquire the medal in order to have the weapon available in the battlefield. Almost completely contrary to the method most triple-A titles are using that one gains experience in the battlefield to acquire new weapons.
America's Army also gives an emphasized boost to the importance of teamwork by not only obtaining achievement for the technique but simply by just designing a game that almost requires one to have a partner at all times and discourages the usual run-and-gun hero mode in most players out there. Also one has to keep in mind that the game does not hoist the usual Terrorist versus Counter-Terrorist teams, which makes the game that much challenging since both you and your opponent are wielding the almost exact same gear.
Engaging in combat is also more intricate that most other triple-A titles. The main difference when engaging an enemy in this game is that when an enemy is taken down. The downed enemy is not dead yet and they have a few precious second for another player to come and perform medical procedures on them to attempt to revive them. The attacker also has the choice (and responsibility) to go up to the location of the downed enemy and "secure" them, which basically means that you make sure they are dead and secure zip-ties around their limbs to make sure they don't go anywhere.
The medical procedure is interesting as well. When an allied team mate is activates the option a menu comes up that will tell the player the condition of the downed player and the allied medic must choose the correct treatment for that symptom. if not the player will die. Medical procedures are done in real time and the player can be killed while performing the procedures.
Game Modes
VIP: There are two iterations of this scenario, one holds a player of the Escort team and tags them as the VIP and they must make their way to another point in the map with the VIP unscathed (or at least alive). The other iteration has an NPC stationed at a neutral locations the Escort team must reach the VIP and escort them back to base, again, the VIP must remain alive.
Take and Hold: The game's version of Capture the Flag, except in this iteration they have the teams scour locations and guard them until they have gained control of it. Also by guarding the game means that the player has to secure weapons stashed or sort of things like that.
Extraction: Both Teams begin on opposing sides of the map and a briefcase with intelligence has been placed in a neutral location, the team must take security of the intelligence and take it to an extraction zone near their spawn point.
The game also caries other games modes specific to the maps which most are iterations of the game modes mentioned above.
Maps
America's Army 3 offers a total of five maps that each hosts their own variant, but similar game modes and missions.
Alley The classic urban environment that is complete with multiple story buildings 
Hold the Following games modes:
- VIP
- Take and Hold
- Extraction
Bridge
Almost the perfect and most classic CTF map with two islands that are connected by a single, narrow bridge as the main and only choke-point in the map.
Bridge on Assult Hold the following game modes:
- Classic: Assault team must take lintel to an extraction point on the opposing team's base (island)
- Assault: Basically CTF except now one team is attempting to secure communication equipment in tower and the opposing team must secure it first.
- Extraction
Impact
This map contains heavy urban areas, denser than Alley and its during the day time.
Impact on Take and HoldThis map hold the following game types:
Pipeline
Map consist of a pump station that has a single story building, the actual pump station and an exterior storage area.
Pipeline on ClassicThis map hold the following game types:
Ranch
This map offers two ranch building along with some minor building clumped on opposite sides of the map. The middle is largely barren landscape with
some relief here and there.
This map hold he following game modes:
- Demolition: Team must place explosives on a set location in the map to destroy the given location.
- VIP
- Extraction
Weapons
System Requirements
Minimum:- Supported OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2/Vista
- Processor: 3.0 GHz Single Core
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: Direct X 9.0c compliant, Shader 3.0 enabled video card with 256MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better)
- DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c
- Sound: Direct X 9.0c compliant sound card
- Hard Drive: 5 GB of Available Hard Disk Space
- Input: Keyboard and mouse
- Multiplayer: Broadband Internet connection
Recommended:
Supported OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2/Vista
Processor: 2.4 GHz Dual Core
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Direct X 9.0c compliant, Shader 3.0 enabled video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA 7950 or better/ATI X1950 or better)
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c
Sound: Creative EAX 4.0 compliant sound card (Audigy 2, X-Fi series)
Hard Drive: 5 GB of Available Hard Disk Space
Input: Keyboard and mouse
Multiplayer: Broadband Internet connection
Log in to comment